The Leader
by Sis21K
Summary: Before Jack Kelly, who was the leader of the newsies? And what happens when the old leader, Bear, leaves them with nothing but a note for company? Who will the newsies turn to? Oneshot.


**Oneshot. Just because.**

**Standard disclaimers everywhere!**

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Jack was on his way home—back to the Lodging House—with an empty cloth bag. That morning it had been filled with papes to sell, but now instead he had a pocket full of jingling coins.

Jack was only twelve, but he could sell a hundred papes a day, easy. Bear thought it was great. Bear was the leader of the newsboys, at sixteen. He also sold a hundred papes a day. He was tough and fun at the same time. All the newsies loved him.

Jack dropped off his bag at the circulation desk and squinted around for Crutchie. The two boys usually walked home together. Maybe he would ask Bear if they could go to the deli for supper. After a few minutes of waiting, hands thrust in his pockets, Weasel was starting to give him dirty looks, so Jack started back down the street without Crutchie.

Halfway home, two boys came running towards him. One he could tell right away was Crutchie, because he was lagging behind though he was limping as fast as he could. The other boy was younger and reached Jack first. Eight-year-old Romeo looked terrified.

"Jack! Jack!"

"What's the matter?" Jack asked with a frown as Crutchie caught up.

Romeo was nearly in tears. "It's Bear. He's gone!"

"What?" Jack glanced at Crutchie to confirm this information. Crutchie nodded sadly.

"Where'd he go?" Jack asked, still unwilling to believe the news.

"I dunno. Just gone!"

"He left a note," Crutchie said softly.

Jack's jaw dropped. He pushed past the two younger boys and ran the last block to the Lodging House. A small group of other boys were clustered around a bunk bed, but they stepped aside when Jack came in. Jack could see what they were looking at—a piece of paper with a scrawled note on it. Jack picked it up and felt his eyes widen.

_Newsies, im sorry but I gota go away i m too old to be a newsie and i herd bout a job i can git out west so ill be hopping trains wish me luck ok you can get along fine without me im shure and wen i get alotta money ill come back and see you ok_

_Im sorry i couldn't say gudbye but you wuldntve let me go_

_And this city is just too small for me now and i needta cach a break der aint no future for me there but wen you all git older youll hav to leeve too so don't git mad don't try to follow me or bring me back cause im just movin on_

_I wont ever forget you guys ok and yous still all my brothers ok never forget dat i will miss you but youll be fine without me im sure of it_

_-Bear_

Jack read it through twice. He slowly raised his eyes to the newsies who were staring at him nervously. He considered his options. He could show his anger and disappointment in Bear now, or he could save it for later when he was alone. He could push the responsibility of leader onto another boy's shoulders…or he could take it upon himself to replace Bear.

"Well, Jack?" Crutchie and Romeo had appeared in the doorway. All the boys were in silent shock.

Jack shook his head. "He ain't coming back. We'll just have to make do without him."

"But how is we gonna do that?" Romeo asked with something like a dry sob.

"How could he leave us?" Specs whispered.

"I dunno," Jack said, rubbing his head. "Just—just go to bed, guys. Don't make a lotta noise. I…I got a headache," he lied, then realized it was true. Not like the boys would be making much noise anyway.

To his vague surprise, they obeyed him without a second thought. Crutchie lingered a second longer, watching Jack, but eventually Jack was left alone in the entry.

He bolted upstairs to the roof, Bear's sanctuary. Sometimes Bear had let Jack come up when he wanted to be away from the other newsies. There was a warm evening breeze blowing up here. Jack looked frantically around, half-expecting Bear to be hiding somewhere.

He wasn't.

Jack's eyes narrowed. All of Bear's stuff was gone.

Bear was really gone, and he wasn't coming back.

Jack started stomping. It felt so good that he picked up a handful of broken brick pieces and started throwing them down to the ground below. He watched them split apart on the street with a fierce pleasure. Why did Bear have to leave? Jack felt a weight on his shoulders that he'd never felt before. He was the leader now. He'd fantasized about it, but somehow his fantasies had never quite gotten to the fact of Bear being gone forever. And he'd just left. Somehow that was the worst of it. He hadn't even said good-bye.

"I trusted you!" Jack shouted, angry tears streaming down his face. Another handful of brick pieces split apart on the street. Jack sniffed. "We all trusted you."

"You shouldn't throw those bricks. You might hit someone."

"Crutchie, go away!"

He didn't have to turn around to recognize his best friend's voice. Jack threw another handful to the ground, but then dusted off his hands angrily and sank to the ground. "Just—just go."

"No."

Jack looked up. Crutchie had a fearful but defiant look on his face. He wasn't moving.

"What do you want?" Jack asked, too tired to argue.

"You'se our leader now," Crutchie said.

"Yeah."

"Why did Bear have to go?" Crutchie asked, suddenly sounding young and vulnerable.

"I dunno, Crutch. But if he ever comes back, I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna throw these bricks at him."

"He had to go," Crutchie said, as if trying to convince himself. "He had to go. He must have had a good reason. He wouldn't just leave us alone for no reason."

"I dunno, Crutchie…I dunno anything anymore."

"You'll be a good leader, Jack."

"Okay."

"I'll help you. Don't worry."

"Okay."

"Do you wanna go to sleep? I'll make sure no one bothers you."

"It's okay, Crutch. You can go back downstairs."

"But I don't want to." Crutchie sniffed. "I wanna stay with you."

Jack sighed, smiling a little in spite of himself.

"Okay. Come here."

Crutchie's eyes lit up and he limped quickly over to Jack. They sat together with their backs against the railings.

"Are you scared to be our leader, Jack?"

"No." Jack paused. "Well, yeah."

"Bear was good. But he left us. You'll never leave us, will you, Jack?" Crutchie was pleading with him.

"No. No, of course not."

"Good." Crutchie settled back against the railing. He leaned his head against Jack's shoulder. "Jack, you'se the best brother a kid could ever ask for."

"Thanks, kid."

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**Because who doesn't need some Jack/Crutchie brotherly stuff? (Somehow it finds its way into everything I write:)**

**Review! It would make me happy!**

**-Sis21K**


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